Political Power List Of 2021

THE GLOBAL COVID PANDEMIC, which hit the world last year, not only took away the lives of millions and devastated economies, it also reorganised the political order in many regions. India was among the countries hit the hardest by the ravaging virus, yet, the political impact of Covid is still not evident. Six states went to polls since the pandemic broke out in India in March 2020—all before the second wave of Covid hit the country in early April 2021—but it was not an electoral issue during the campaigns. The political power order of the country has remained largely unchanged with the RSS-BJP ecosystem firmly entrenched at the top. While de facto Congress chief Rahul Gandhi remains the sole national voice against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government, recent political movements have seen the emergence of regional satraps as new power centres. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee not only withstood a massive BJP campaign to dethrone her in the assembly poll earlier this year but is also now projecting herself as an alternative to Modi. In this quest, she will need the support of Maratha stalwart Sharad Pawar, who is the unofficial nerve centre of the Maharashtra government. The India Today political power list of 2021 provides a quick overview of the strongest players giving direction to the political discourse in the country.

- Kaushik Deka, Anilesh S. Mahajan, Ashish Misra, Romita Datta and Kiran D. Tare

1 NARENDRA MODI, 71

PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA

MASTER OF ALL HE SURVEYS

BECAUSE he continues to be the supreme commander of the government and the ruling BJP. Despite the many crises such as the pandemic, economic distress, and farmers’ protests, he remains way ahead in the popularity stakes, as a range of opinion polls show

BECAUSE his personal stamp is evident everywhere, be it the Union cabinet reshuffle or the change of chief ministers in BJP-ruled states. The nationwide celebration of his birthday and completion of 20 years in public office was almost an official acceptance of his cult status, an unprecedented phenomenon in the Sangh Parivar

BECAUSE he rarely blinks under pressure, be it on the farm laws or a caste census. And despite some flipflops, under him, India has anchored the world’s largest vaccination drive

CATCH’EM YOUNG After the 2019 win, PM Modi had asked J.P. Nadda and B.L. Santhosh to keep an eye out for younger leaders, especially women and those from the backward classes. Their recommendations have come through as candidates for MLCs, the BJP organization team, and also in the recent cabinet reshuffle

2 AMIT SHAH, 56

Union Minister for Home Affairs

THE ULTIMATE ENFORCER

BECAUSE he is PM Modi’s right-hand man and handles all critical assignments, including being interlocutor with warring RSS affiliates over the government’s policies